Device to prevent stealing of automobiles



Nov. 6 1923.

C. JACKSON ET AL DEVICE TO PREVENT STEALING OF'AUTOMOBILES Filed Dec. 11

Patented Nov. 6, 1923.

CHARLES JACKSON AND WALKER L. HUXTER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNORS,

BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE NATIONAL AUTO LOCK COMPANY, OF BALTI- MORE, MARYLAND, A BODY CORPORATE OF MARYLAND.

DEVICE TO PREVENT STEALING OF AUTOMOBILES.

Application filed December 11, 1919. Serial No. 844,200.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES JACKSON and \VALKEI: L. HUx'rnR. citizens of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices to Prevent Stealing of Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus to prevent stealing or unauthorized use of automobiles and has for its object to provide a device which, when the automobile is left in the garage or unattended in the street, can be readily thrown in position so that the electric current that usually passes to the spark plugs will be short-circuited in the event of the current being turned on by an unauthorized person, thereby diverting the current from the spark plugs and thus preventing combustion and consequently the starting of the engine. Said device being readily released to again establish the circuit to the spark plugs when it is desired to start the engine.

The invention consists of the novel construction and arrangement of the parts and combination of parts hereinafter more fully set forth in the following specification and pointed out in detail in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawing.

Figure 1 is a plan view of our invention with a short circuiting plate and lock removed.

Figure 2 is a vertical section of the casing showing the short circuiting plate in the normal position, the short circuiting position being shown in dotted lines.

Figure 3 is a top plan view showing the short circuiting plate and lock in osition and the wires leading therefrom to t e magneto and spark plugs.

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of the short circuiting plate.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification and in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views thereof, 1 designates the casing which in its preferred form consists of a metal box having an outwardly extending ledge on either side thereof to facilitate the attachment of the device to the dash board of an automobile. The sides of the box are perforated to allow the entry'of the wires 3 and 4, which it will be understood are parts of the same wire the portion 3 in each case leading to one of the distributor contacts 5 of the magneto and the other portion 4 of the wire leading to one of the spark plugs 6, these spark plugs, the distributor contacts, and the number of coils 2 within the casing 1, varying with the number of cylinders in the automobile engine, the drawings illustrating an 8-cylinder engine. For a t-cylinder engine there would be but four plugs and but four coils 2.

The previously mentioned side flanges 7 have apertures 8 toreceive the screws or bolts which fasten the casing to the dash board. The dash board, depending upon the automobile to which the device is fitted, is either of wood, in which case the device would be insulated from the frame, or the dash board may be of metal, in which case the casing would be grounded.

Each of the wires leading from the distributor contacts of the magneto to the spark plug is connected to a spring 2 made of any conducting metal such as copper, brass, or steel, and may be either secured to the non-conducting base, preferably of wood, located in the bottom of the casing, in any preferred manner, such as by the screwshown at the right hand coil in Fig. 2, or, if preferred the coil 2 may be an integralportion of the metal conducting wire which forms the circuit 5-3-4-6.

Loosely mounted within the casing 1 is a metal contact platev 9 in which is mounted a reciprocating bolt 10 controlled by a combination tumblerlock 11 so that the bolt 10 maybe shot into the lower aperture 12 in the side of the casing which will hold the contact plate 9 in contact with each and all of the springs 2, or the bolt may be shot into the upper aperture 13 corresponding to runmng position in which case the contact plate 9 Will be held well above the springs 2.

When the car is in in operation the current passes from one of the distributor contacts 5 through the wires 3 and 4 to the appropriate spark plug 6 which is energized in proper sequence with the full current of the device since each of the coils 2 are insulated from each other and the wires 3 and 4 are insulated from the casing 1. When the automobile is not in use the knob of the tumbler 11 is turned withdrawing the lock or bolt 10 from the upper aperture and the plate 9 is then forced inward into contact with each of the springs and locked in such place by means of the tumbler 11. This prevents the startin of the engine whether the dash board be 0 wood or of metal. In the first case the current is split between the eight contact springs each receiving one-eighth of the amount of current, this being insufiicient to cause a spark to pass in any of the spark plugs. In case the dash board is of metal no current at all passes to the spark plugs since the metal casing 1 would then be grounded on the frame of the machine.

When the owner decides to start the engine he turns the knob 11 to the proper com-e bination numbers to open the lock, withdraws bolt 10 from aperture 12 and shoots it into the upper aperture 13 Without necessarily locln'ng it in that position. The

engine may now be controlled in the usual way.

What is claimed is: y

In an ignition system cut-out, a casing, a non-conducting base therein, a plurality of circuits each having an intermediate portion engaging said base, a fastening member of conducting material in contact with each of said circuits at an intermediate rtion thereof. said members being locate in spaced parallel rows defining a plane and a conducting plate parallel to said base and movable within said casing and adapted to engage all of said fastening members simultaneously whereby said circuits are electrically interconnected.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

UHARLES JACKSON. WALKER L. HUXTER. 

